williams



No. 623,857. Patented Apr. 25, I899. S. T. WILLIAMS.

CARD RECORD.

. (A lication fllod Nov. 8, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT rrron.

CARD-RECORD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,857, dated April25, 1899.

Application filed November 3, 1898. Serial No. 695,377. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN T. WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCard-Records, of which the following is a specification.

In my application, Serial No. 694,520, for United States patent, filedOctober 25, 1898, I have described and claimed record-cards'havingduplicate indexes,of which the index characters are inscribed upon whatI call twin tabs, which consist of two tabs on the same edge of eachcard similarly indexed, one on one side and the other on the other side.In such record-cards the space for indexing either facethat is to say,the front or back of the cardis limited to one-half the length of thatedge of the card on which the index is placed, and therefore such cardmust be of considerable length to admit of the double indexing. Thepresent invention gives duplicate indexes on opposite sides of the cardswith cards shorter than any that would be practicable with the cardshaving twin tabs above mentioned.

The said inventionis mainly distinguished by the provision of a singletab on each of two opposite edges of each card of a group used in anindex, the two tabs on said two edges being exactly opposite each otherand having upon them similar. index characters, but the said charactersbeing on opposite sides of the card, so that when any one of the cardsof a group is reversed the corresponding index character on the backwill occupy precisely the same position in the index as was previouslyoccupied by a figure on the face. This and other features of theinvention are fully represented in the accompanying drawrepresents avertical section of a box and a face view of agroup of cards therein,exhibiting a modification of both cards andbox. Fig. 5 represents asimilar view of cards and box, illustrating another modification. Fig. 6represents a face view of a group of cards, illustrating a furthermodification and amplification of my invention. Fig. '7 represents aface View of a group of cards, illustrating a still furthermodification.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which illustrate the simplest formof my invention, in which the cards A have a single index on each side,the index on the one side being at one edge and that on the other sidebeing on the opposite edge, the said edges being respectively the topand bottom. Ten of these cards constitute a group,. and a complete indexmay consist of any number of such groups. Each card may be considered ashaving the greater part of its upper and lower edges divided into tenspaces, leaving an extra space a at each end. From one of these tenspaces there projects a tab 1). The duplicate tabs b projecting from thefirst of said ten spaces, counting from the left, have on the front cardof the group inscribed upon them the index characters or numerals l 1.On the next card the duplicate tabs project from the two next spaces andhave upon them the numerals 2 2 and on the third card the tabs projectfrom the third spaces and are numbered 3 3, asillustrated in Fig.3, andso on to the tenth spaces, which are inscribed with 00. By reference toFigs. 1, 2, and 3 it may be understood that the duplicate indexnumeralson each edge are on one side only of the card, the said numerals on thetop edge being represented in full outline and those on the lower edgein dotted outline and reversed, as though seen through, and it may alsobe understood by a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the index isrepresented on one side and edge in solid numerals and on the other sideand edge in skeleton numerals, so that whichever of the two edges of thecard is at the top the same index-numeral will be presented in the sameplace, and hence that if the card be reversed by turning it over tochange the positions of the upper and lower edges the same index-numeralwill appear in the same place at the top of the card. The

indexes may be distinguished by different colors on the two sides of thecard, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the solid numerals on oneside and the skeleton numerals on the other side.

The parts a cat the ends of the index-spaces of the cards shown in Figs.1, 2, and 3 are formed as corner-tabs, which are represented as having agreater projection than the indextabs, so that when the cards are placedupright in a box or drawer B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the index-tabswill be clear of the bottom thereof, and thus protected from injury orunnecessary wear. These corner-tabs are utilizable by the inscriptionupon them of any suitable characters, as indicated at S- such, forexample, as the names or initials of persons whose account'the cards ofa group or series of groups represent; They may, however, be without anyprojection, but terminate on a line with the points of the indextabs 1).

The cards represented in Fig. 4 only differ from those represented inFigs. 1, 2, and 3 in the absence of the projecting corner-tabs. Forcards of this kind their containing box or drawer should be furnished onthe bottom with small strips 0 of wood, upon which the cards may restwith the tabs a little raised from the floor of the box or drawer.

In the example shown in Fig. 5 the tab-indexes are on the side edges ofthe cards instead of at the top or bottom; but in every other respectthe cards are the same as those described with reference to Figs. 1, 2,and 3. The cards thus tabbed and indexed require a box or drawer B, openat one side or end, as shown in Fig. 5, to enable the index to be easilyread. To reverse these cards, they require to be turned sidewise insteadof over.

The tabs may beindexed on both sides, as illustrated in Fig. 6, which isa face view of a group of cards in all respects like that shown in Figs.1 and 2, except that the tabs are each numbered on opposite sides withcorresponding numerals, the numerals on the faces being indicated inbold outline and those on the backs in dotted outline and reversed,asthough seen through the cards.

All four sides of the cards may be utilized for indexes by providingtabs on all sides, as illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the tabs at the topand bottom of the cards are indexed by numerals, as represented in Figs.1 and 2, and the opposite side tabs by letters.

In carrying out my invention I generally, as in all the examples hereinrepresented and described, make the cards of true squarethat is to say,quadrangular and with all the sides of equal length measured outside ofthe tabsthe object of this form being that they may fit a box or drawerwhichever of their sides is so arranged therein as to be at the top orside thereof.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A reversible index-card having atab on each of two opposite edges, the said tabs arranged opposite eachother and having corresponding index characters, substantially as andfor the purpose herein described.

2. In a group of index or record cards or sheets in which the severalcards of a group are consecutively indexed, two index-tabs upon each ofsaid cards arranged exactly opposite each other on opposite edges of thecard and having corresponding index characters inscribed on one face ofone tab and on the other face of the opposite tab, substantiallyas andfor the purpose herein described.

3. An index or record card having two tabs one on each of two oppositeedges of the card and having corresponding index characters on saidtabs, the said characters being of different colors one on one face ofone tab and the other on the other face of the other tab, substantiallyas herein described.

4. An index or record card having indextabs on opposite edges andadapted to fit a box or drawer with either edge at the top or sidethereof by being of true square form, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described.

5. An index or record card having indextabs on its edges and corner-tabsof greater projection than the index-tabs, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described.

6. A four-sided index or record card having on each edge a singleindex-tab, the tabs of any two opposite edges being exactly oppositeeach other and having corresponding index characters, substantially asherein described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of November, 1808.

STEPHEN T. WVILLIAMS.

Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, CHARLES J. EVERETT.

